ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: AlphaCor (Argus Biomedical Pty. Ltd., Perth, Australia) is an artificial, soft, one-piece keratoprosthesis (KPro) indicated for severe corneal conditions not treatable by a donor graft. To evaluate the efficacy and visual restoring of six patients with complete corneal opacification and deep neovascularizations treated with AlphaCor. METHODS: A retrospective review of six patients with a history of corneal opacification treated with keratoprosthesis surgery. AlphaCor synthetic cornea was implanted into the corneal stroma. During the follow-up time, slit-lamp and ultrasound examinations, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and intraocular pressure measurements were performed. RESULTS: Six eyes with corneal scarring and vascularizations in three to four quadrants of six patients to years of age underwent a keratoprosthesis procedure. The follow-up time was 13-36 months; mean 23 months. The operation procedure was not limited by severe complications. The preoperative BCVA was hand movement to light perception. The postoperative BCVA ranged between 20/200 and 80/100. Intraocular pressure was controlled in all cases. Three patients developed a melting of the anterior corneal lamella. The keratoprosthesis had to be explanted (15-34 months after implantation) and was replaced by a donor cornea. CONCLUSIONS: Further evaluation is needed to evaluate the role of AlphaCor as a keratoprosthesis.
Subject(s)
Artificial Organs , Cornea , Corneal Diseases/surgery , Postoperative Complications , Prostheses and Implants , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Intraocular Pressure/physiology , Keratoplasty, Penetrating , Male , Middle Aged , Polyhydroxyethyl Methacrylate , Prosthesis Implantation , Reoperation , Retrospective Studies , Treatment Outcome , Visual Acuity/physiologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The course of Purtscher's retinopathy (PR) or Purtscher-like retinopathy (P-lR) is dependent on time, length, and expression of confluent cotton-wool spots. To correlate the course of the disease with findings of optical coherence tomography (OCT), we present two extreme courses of PR and P-lR. METHODS: Complete ophthalmological examination plus electroretinography (ERG) and OCT were performed. In the first case the follow-up was carried out until complete resorption of the edema and in the second case 8 years after the occurrence of P-lR. RESULTS: An increase of the central retinal thickness (308-430 microm was observed during the acute phase of PR. Normalization of visual acuity and central retinal thickness to 210-273 microm with an ERG within normal limits (35 ms) was achieved after 8 weeks. In the course of P-lR the marked edema was visible even after 6 months and a markedly reduced neuroretina (112-120 microm) was measured after 8 years. CONCLUSIONS: Retinal thickness analysis correlates well with organic functions in the cases of PR or P-lR. Fast reduction of the edema was associated with a good prognosis for visual acuity.
Subject(s)
Retinal Diseases/pathology , Tomography, Optical Coherence/methods , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Statistics as TopicABSTRACT
Purtscher's retinopathy is a traumatic angiopathy, most commonly caused by head and chest trauma. Retinal signs include white ischemic infarcts (cotton-wool spots or Purtscher flecken) and hemorrhages (dot and blot, preretinal, or flame). The prognosis for patients with decreased vision is unpredictable. We report one case of this disease developing 3 days after a motorcycle accident.
Subject(s)
Ischemia/diagnosis , Ischemia/etiology , Retinal Hemorrhage/diagnosis , Retinal Hemorrhage/etiology , Retinal Vessels , Thoracic Injuries/complications , Thoracic Injuries/diagnosis , Accidents, Traffic , Adult , Humans , Male , Rare Diseases/diagnosis , Rare Diseases/etiology , Syndrome , Vision Disorders/diagnosis , Vision Disorders/etiologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Protein S deficiency, which exists in 0.7% of the population, is a risk factor for retinal vein branch occlusions and is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. METHODS: A genealogical study was carried out on three generations of one family who exhibited different venous occlusions and subsequent complications. RESULTS: Four members of the family, spanning three generations, suffered from complications of venous thrombosis. In the first generation a great uncle died of complications from a deep leg venous thrombosis. In the second generation, the mother underwent a venous branch thrombosis at the age of 41 with a protein S activity of 18%. Subsequently, a palsy of the N. abducens developed with multiple cerebral lesions (presumably post-thrombotic) in the MRI. Fluorescein angiography showed a typical picture of a venous branch occlusion which had been treated by laser. In the third generation, the 16-year-old daughter developed iliac venous thrombosis and a pulmonary embolism with a protein S activity of 0%. The fluorescein angiography showed distinctively engorged veins. A 28-year-old daughter, with a protein S activity of 16%, remained asymptomatic, although fluorescein angiography demonstrated engorged veins. Protein C activity and APC resistance of all family members were normal. The chromosomal analysis of the family members revealed no morphological aberrations. CONCLUSION: Protein S deficiency increases the risk of congenital thrombosis in young and middle-aged heterozygous individuals.
Subject(s)
Abducens Nerve Diseases/genetics , Protein S Deficiency/genetics , Retinal Vein Occlusion/genetics , Abducens Nerve Diseases/diagnosis , Adolescent , Adult , Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3 , DNA Mutational Analysis , Female , Fluorescein Angiography , Genetic Predisposition to Disease/genetics , Genotype , Humans , Intracranial Embolism/diagnosis , Intracranial Embolism/genetics , Male , Middle Aged , Pedigree , Phenotype , Point Mutation/genetics , Protein S/genetics , Protein S Deficiency/diagnosis , Pulmonary Embolism/diagnosis , Pulmonary Embolism/genetics , Retinal Vein Occlusion/diagnosis , Thrombophilia/diagnosis , Thrombophilia/genetics , Venous Thrombosis/diagnosis , Venous Thrombosis/geneticsABSTRACT
Human mononuclear cells stimulated by PHA caused resorption of fetal rat bones in tissue culture. Non-adherent cells alone failed to produce substantial bone resorbing activity. The mixed culture of adherent and non-adherent cells (1:40) produced significant bone mineral resorption in vitro. The bone resorption induced by human mononuclear cells stimulated by PHA required the presence of living bone tissue in culture. The bone resorbing effect caused by PHA-stimulated cells was blocked by dichloromethylene diphosphonate at 10(-5) M concentration, but mononuclear cells preincubated in diphosphonate containing media were capable to resorb fetal rat bone in tissue culture.
Subject(s)
Bone Resorption/drug effects , Clodronic Acid/pharmacology , Diphosphonates/pharmacology , Leukocytes/immunology , Animals , Cell Adhesion , Humans , Lymphocyte Activation , Lymphokines/biosynthesis , Organ Culture Techniques , Phytohemagglutinins/pharmacology , RatsSubject(s)
Atropine/pharmacology , Physostigmine/pharmacology , Stress, Physiological/blood , Thyrotropin/blood , Animals , Drug Antagonism , Female , RatsABSTRACT
The effects of lithium on bone metabolism were determined using different organ culture models for the study of resorption and collagen synthesis. At concentrations of 3 X 10(-3)--10(-2) M, lithium blocked the stimulation of 45Ca and lysosomal enzyme release by parathyroid hormone (PTH) but did not affect bone resorption in control cultures in the absence of PTH. Lithium inhibition was observed in continuous culture with PTH or when bones were exposed to both agents for only 8 h. Lithium was less effective in inhibiting resorption of bones pretreated with PTH, and pretreatment with lithium did not prevent subsequent stimulation of bone resorption by PTH. Lithium did not inhibit the incorporation of labeled proline in collagen and noncollagen protein or of labelled thymidine into DNA.
Subject(s)
Bone Resorption/drug effects , Bone and Bones/metabolism , Lithium/pharmacology , Animals , Bone and Bones/drug effects , Calcium/metabolism , Collagen/biosynthesis , Female , Fetus , Glucuronidase/metabolism , Lysosomes/drug effects , Lysosomes/enzymology , Organ Culture Techniques , Parathyroid Hormone/pharmacology , Pregnancy , Proline/metabolism , Protein Biosynthesis , RatsABSTRACT
Since corticosteroids are known to be a potent factor redistributing the peripheral blood lymphocytes to other body compartments, we estimated the sub-populations of T and B lymphocytes in peripheral blood of steroid dependent asthma patients. In twenty steroid-treated asthma patients and eighteen healthy blood donors the percentage and absolute number of lymphocytes forming spontaneous rosettes with sheep red blood cells ("early" and "late" T lymphocyte marker) and mouse red blood cells (B lymphocyte marker) were determined. The asthma patients were treated with 40 or 60 mg of triamcinolone acetonide (Kenalog) i.m. for at least one year or more prior to the study. No statistically significant differences were observed in lymphocyte subpopulations between steroid-treated asthma patients and healthy blood donors.
Subject(s)
Asthma/immunology , B-Lymphocytes/immunology , T-Lymphocytes/immunology , Triamcinolone Acetonide/administration & dosage , Adult , Animals , Asthma/drug therapy , B-Lymphocytes/drug effects , Erythrocytes/immunology , Female , Humans , Leukocyte Count , Male , Mice , Middle Aged , Rosette Formation , Sheep , T-Lymphocytes/drug effects , Time FactorsABSTRACT
The influence of various neuromediators on pituitary TSH secretion in rats has been investigated. Noradrenaline 50 microgram/rat, dopamine 50 microgram/rat, serotonine-creatinine-sulphate 100 micogram/rat, gamma-aminobutyric acid 100 microgram/rat, pilocarpine 1 mg/rat, histamine 100 microgram/rat were administered into the lateral ventricle of the brain. All agents were dissolved in Parker's fluid. Two control groups of animals were given Parker's fluid and subjected to surgical manipulations, respectively. Plasma TSH level was estimated after 30 min by means of radioimmunoassay. The increase in the TSH level was observed after the injection of serotonine and noradrenaline (4.0 and 3.1 ng/ml, respectively) as compared with control group (0.7 ng/ml).
Subject(s)
Neurotransmitter Agents/pharmacology , Thyrotropin/blood , Aminohippuric Acids/pharmacology , Animals , Dopamine/pharmacology , Female , Histamine/pharmacology , Injections, Intraventricular , Norepinephrine/pharmacology , Pilocarpine/pharmacology , Rats , Serotonin/pharmacology , Thyrotropin/metabolismABSTRACT
The effect of serotonin given into the lateral ventricle of the brain in rats was investigated. Serotonin was solved in artificial cerebrospinal fluid and administered in three doses: 250 microgram, 50 microgram, 10 microgram. Only the highest dose of serotonin caused a statistically significant increase in serum TSH level 0.5 h after the injection. The possible role of serotonin in the blocking mechanism of thyroid hormones on TSH secretion was also taken into consideration. 50 microgram of serotonin significantly strengthened the lowering effect of 1-thyroxine given 0.5 h before on serum TSH level.
